Is Carmelo Anthony Bound For Los Angeles?

Denver Nuggets Anthony on bench during loss to New Jersey Nets in their NBA basketball game in Newark. Photo: REUTERS

According to an ESPN.com report, the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets have had preliminary discussions about a Carmelo Anthony trade.

ESPN NBA reporter Chris Broussard said the trade would be built around Andrew Bynum and the Nuggets shedding as much salary as possible. The Lakers would likely not be willing to go forward with such a trade without Anthony first signing an extension, but it is believed that the Lakers are one of Anthony's preferred teams, and he and his wife La La Vasquez do own a home in the Los Angeles-area.

Anthony has been the most talked about player in the NBA this season in terms of a trade. He was previously linked to a deal with the New Jersey Nets but apparently was not willing to sign an extension, and it is believed that the New York Knicks are currently trying to swing a three-way trade using the Minnesota Timberwolves as a conduit, but the talks have hit various snags along the way.

Is Los Angeles a legitimate possibility for Anthony? The Lakers previously came out of nowhere to swing a trade for forward Pau Gasol, a move that made the team immediate title contenders, and a trade for Anthony would give the Lakers an even more formidable Big Three than the Miami Heat's triptych of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh.

However, according to the LA Times, a trade is not likely. The paper quoted a team representative as saying, what's out there is inaccurate. Furthermore, Bynum is allegedly seen as a personal favorite and pet-project for team executive Jim Buss, son of Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Whether or not this report is accurate or not, Carmelo Anthony trade talk is going to persist until he's moved to another squad or the NBA's trade deadline of February 24 passes without anything being done.